Visual Estimating Using Innovaya

Class project for AE 597F: Virtual Facility Prototyping

Team Members:

Steve Ayer, Dan Weiger, Shawn Pepple

Introduction:

Innovaya is a software that acts as a bridge to carry information from a Building Information Modeling (BIM) authoring software such as Revit Architecture to an estimating database such as Sage Timberline to generate an automated visual estimate. Innovaya works with AuctitoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD MEP, and all Revit Applications. The diagram below shows a visual representation of this estimating process.

When used properly, Innovaya can provide estimators in the construction industry with a tool for producing automated visual estimates. This means that:

The estimating process can be significantly shortened
- Fully automated quantity take-offs
- Fully automated pricing data
The estimates generated can be more accurate
- Less chance of human error for take-offs and pricing
The estimate can be effectively visualized
- Eliminates double counting and omissions during take-offs by visually seeing what has and has not been taken-off
- Easily understand what is being estimated

Because of these potential advantages, this estimating software was researched for a graduate level virtual prototyping class at the Pennsylvania State University. The goal of this research was to determine how easily it is in reality to generate an automated visual estimate of a Building Information Model (BIM) using Innovaya. Because this project was performed over a one semester time frame, a highly simplified model was used as a test model to analyze Innovaya to reduce complexity. Based on our research efforts, this wikispace has been created to provide some background on the software and also give some basic instruction about how to get started using Innovaya.

For additional information about Innovaya, visit the software's website. http://www.innovaya.com/

Step-By-Step Workflow Guide:

The Workflow:

The workflow outlined below is a very basic instruction on how to get started using Innovaya.
We caution the use of this workflow for estimating large and complex buildings as it is most likely not the most efficient method. To date we have not identified any alternative workflow in our research, thus further research is needed.
- Our research team investigated how the AEC industry is using Innovaya to estimate real world projects but we found no conclusive answers. Most companies gave up on Innovaya early on due to the learning curve and the risk involved with using the program to estimate million dollar projects.

What you'll need:

A Building Information Model (BIM) to be estimated
Innovaya Visual Estimating software
Sage Timberline software
Company's historical cost database (optional)

Getting started:
Authoring a BIM model:

When developing your model you must pay careful attention to your modeling technique. The way you model your building can impact the accuracy of the estimate. See the Lessons Learned/Potential Pitfalls below for some things to be watching out for.

Installing Innovaya

Penn State has a licenses agreement with Innovaya. However, not all computers in the AE labs in Sacket 307, 308, Studio, or ICON lab have Innovaya installed on the computers. You must contact Corey Wilkinson, AE Department Computer/Network Technician for information on how to install Innovaya on an AE computer.
After downloading the program you will be prompted to enter an activation code. You must send an email to support@innovaya.com to request an activation code. In the email mention that you are an AE student/faulty and you should be granted access. Expect a response with the activation code within 1-2 business days.
Note: You will be allowed to open and run Innovaya 8 times without an activation code. Once you exceed 8 times, you will no longer be able to use
Innovaya without an activation code.

Sage Timberline Estimating

Penn State has 100 licenses for Sage Timberline Estimating software. Every computer in the AE labs in Sacket 307, 308 should have the software installed. Only certain computers in the Studio and the ICON lab have the software installed.
Before using Innovaya you should check to make sure Timberline is working properly. This is very important since Innovaya links your BIM model to Timberline so it must be functioning properly. We strongly advise doing this because we encountered several problems with Timberline. See the Timberline Estimating Wikispace for more information.

Video tutorials:
1. Exporting to Innovaya file (.inv)

2. Opening the .inv with Innovaya

3. Quantity take-off

4. Opening a new estimate and selecting cost database for pricing information

5. Perform assembly estimate

6. Perform automated estimate

Lessons Learned/Potential Pitfalls:

As with any new technology, there is potential for technical difficulties and glitches in the software. From our research we have compiled a list of potential issues that anyone who may be new to using this software should be aware of.

When using Revit as an authoring tool, it is important to model walls to their correct unconnected height. Because of the way that the quantity take-offs are performed in Innovaya, a 20' unconnected height wall that is connected to a roof 10' above grade will be priced as a 20' wall above grade.
An additional potential source of estimating error that was discovered was related to the edge formwork associated with pouring a cast-in-place slab on grade. When a first slab is formed all edges are assembled to form the concrete. When a second slab adjacent to the first is poured, one or more of the sides will likely not be formed since the original slab will act as a pour stop to the adjacent slab. This premise is illustrated in the upper image of the figure below. Four edges are formed for the first slab and 3 are formed for the second, totaling 7 edges to be formed for pouring these two slabs on grade. Innovaya will likely take-off and price 8 sides of edge formwork because it will not recognize that some edges will not need to be formed. This is shown in the lower image of the figure below.

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Even when care is exercised, slight deviations may occur between the Innovaya estimate and a manual estimate. In most situations, this slight deviation will not greatly affect the effectiveness of the estimating software. As a method of ensuring that these slight deviations do not become large deviations or blunders, the detailed automated estimates should be compared to rough order of magnitude estimates to ensure a relatively close match.
The unit format number for the assembly code listed in the Revit family properties does not match the assembly codes listed in the Timberline databases or the RS Means books. This number is typically used to refer to a unique assembly. However, since the codes do not match you must link the assembly from the Revit model to a "similar" assembly in the Timberline database. Example: Revit has a wall assembly with brick on CMU that has an assembly code B2010156. The Timberline database has a similar assembly with brick on 8" concrete block that has an assembly code 0405. You must manually match these two assemblies together as shown in the Assembly Estimating Video. The reason why the codes do not match are unknown. It seems to be a programming issue in the software. If the codes matched, it would be much easier to produce an automated estimate because it could match the assemblies by code automatically.
The Innovaya help section is not a very good source of help. It is fairly limited and vague at best. Our hope is this wikispace can help fill some of the gaps in the help section. If you still have questions about Innovaya we advise you to call Kevin Yu with Innovaya. He can be very helpful.
After researching the program, we believe that this program can be very useful in developing a budget cost for a low to moderatly complex BIM model. We believe that it could be particularly useful in the AE design studios or other AE classes where it would be necessary to estimate a BIM model.

Conclusion:

Based on our research Innovaya looks promising. After performing an estimate on a very simple Revit model, the automated estimate differed only minimally from our manual estimate. This certainly indicates that the software is fully capable of quickly generating an automated estimate if it is set up properly. Because this research focused on a simple model for logistics purposes, a complicated (real-world) model was not looked at. In a more complicated model, more issues would be likely to arise. These issues would need to be examined to determine how to redefine the model or databases to minimize the chance of a discrepancy in the automated visual estimate process.

References:

http://www.innovaya.com/
http://www.sagetimberlineoffice.com/
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?id=3781831&siteID=123112

Acknowledgments:

We'd like to give thanks to the following people for their contributions to us on this project:
Kevin Yu - Innovaya
John Messner, PhD - The Pennsylvania State University
Dragana Nikolic - The Pennsylvania State University
Mike Arnold - The Foreman Group

Visual Estimating with Innovaya